Follow us

GUEST SERVICES: Tirgan 2017

Seeing as Tirgan is the largest festival of its kind around the world, it’s no doubt that we would attract some of the greatest names in modern Iranian arts and culture. These distinguished guests, speakers, and performers alike are in trusting hands with Tirgan’s Guest Services team- one of the teams within the Operations department.

In my somewhat biased yet humble opinion, the Guest Services team is one of the most exciting and dynamic groups to be a part of. While other teams within Operations deal primarily with the Tirgan Festival visitors, our team is behind the scenes working diligently to ensure our esteemed guests are attended to – from the moment they land at Toronto Pearson to the time they head back home, wherever that may be! Our dedicated team of volunteers loves the hustle-bustle of interacting with these guests; Airport pickups and drop-offs; introducing Toronto and the Harbourfront neighbourhood; ensuring guests make it to their sound checks, rehearsals, and performances; and accommodating our beloved guests’ requests, are only a few of the tasks the Guest Services team is responsible for.

As you can imagine, a substantial portion of our work is done in the days leading up to, during, and after the festival itself; however, we certainly keep busy in the months ahead by planning for the arrival of our guests. Perhaps one of the most prominent tasks; outside of planning for all the necessary transportation accommodations; is creating Welcome Packages equipped with sightseeing information, local restaurants, and other necessities, to both ensure guests feel welcomed and to acquaint them with the downtown Toronto area. Every year, as the Tirgan Festival grows so does the number of astounding Iranians that join our list of notable guests, and the Guest Services team is honored to be the representative face of the Festival and Toronto.

Iranians are acknowledged for their hospitality, and the culture of welcoming people into our home with open arms is deep-seeded within us; so it is with pride and grace that we welcome our fellow Iranians and Iranian culture lovers into our “home-away-from-home”: Toronto and the Tirgan Festival.

This article originally appeared in the 2017 edition of Tirgan Magazine.

Tirgan Media sets out to cultivate cross-cultural dialogues using the international language of art and opens a window to promote Iranian art and culture to the Canadian and International audiences. Please subscribe for latest news and articles.

About the author

Rouya Botlani

Rouya Botlani is Tirgan’s Guest Services Manager for the 2017 festival, and an avid lover of Iran’s astonishing and lively culture. Rouya joined the Tirgan family in January 2017, and is thrilled to take on a leadership role and work with such amazing peers.